Roger Goodell: 'I Am Concerned' About Catch Rule, Wants Change in Offseason

It is essentially a rite of passage for NFL fans to complain about the ambiguity of what is and isn't a catch, and Commissioner Roger Goodell has apparently heard the gripes.  

"I'm not just somewhat concerned, I am concerned," he said Monday when talking about the catch rule during an interview on FS1's The Herd with Colin Cowherd. "... It's particularly in the going to the ground that I think is creating a lot of the confusion."

Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com noted Goodell said he previously brought together a summit of five Hall of Fame receivers and multiple coaches to discuss the rule.

Seifert detailed more of the interview, pointing out Goodell specifically focused on plays in which receivers initially seemed to catch a pass and then lost control of it once they hit the ground.

The controversy surrounding the catch or no catch rulings on those type of plays reached a zenith in Week 15 when it appeared as if Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Jesse James hauled in a potential game-winning touchdown pass with 28 seconds left against the New England Patriots.

However, officials deemed he didn't complete the process of the catch after hitting the ground, and the Steelers ultimately lost the game after Ben Roethlisberger threw an interception two plays later.

It proved particularly important because the Patriots eventually beat out the Steelers for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. As a result, Pittsburgh had to play the Jacksonville Jaguars in the divisional round and lost, while New England cruised to a straightforward victory over the Tennessee Titans before escaping a challenge from Jacksonville in the AFC Championship Game.

Seifert noted the NFL's competition committee will hold meetings during the offseason to discuss a potential rule change that would make such plays clearer for officials and fans. A new rule may be presented to owners as soon as March depending on how the meetings unfold.